LA Baby ♡ Manhattan Dreams Sequel

23. Fight or Flight

I wake up to the sound of my phone falling onto the floor. Apparently it's been ringing so long that it's driven itself right off my nightstand. The thud though is loud enough to finally get me to roll over in bed to reach down and grab it. On screen, there are seven missed calls from Josh. "Ugh" I groan. I couldn't blame him for the continuous calls though. Admittedly, I wasn't acting myself...at all.

"Hello" I answer begrudgingly, lying on my back and staring up at the ceiling.

"Good, your phone still does work." I deserved that. "Penelope, I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours. What's going on?" He asks in frustration. My hand moves to rest on my belly and I sigh.

"I was sleeping. I'm sorry." I apologize. I decide to opt out of apologizing for ignoring him the whole of last evening. Something about leaving the school you dreamed of attending your entire life seems to drain the life out of you...or perhaps it was the baby growing inside me that was doing that.

"It's fine" he replies, releasing a deep sigh. "I've just been worried about you...about us." I bite my lip, sitting up and bringing my knees to my chest. "We said that we wouldn't let the distance come between us and yet, I feel as if we've never been further apart. And I'm trying Maya, so damn hard, but I can't keep being the only one putting in effort."

Blame it on the hormones but his words bring me to tears. I know I've been a horrible girlfriend, I know I've kept this from him far too long and most of all, I know I can't do it anymore. "I need to see you."

"Well good for you then that I canceled our gigs for the next week." My eyes widen but before I can get another word in edgewise, he continues. "I'm back in LA and I want to see you too. So, I booked your ticket this morning. All you have to do is get on a plane."

Suddenly, everything is moving a million times faster, including my thoughts which are racing around inside my mind making me almost dizzy with anticipation. "Josh-."

"I know you're keeping something from me, you've said as much, and it's obviously important. I can't go another day without seeing you, another day without knowing. Whatever it is, we'll get it through it though, together."

I wipe the tears falling from my eyes. "How mad was your manager?" I ask, deciding to try and lighten the mood.

He chuckles. "I got hung up on." I join in his laughter. "But it doesn't matter. I miss you and being with you is all that matters to me right now. Okay?"

"Mkay" I hum, breathing in deeply. "But promise me something."

"Anything."

"No matter what I have to tell you, you don't run. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime."

"Penelope. I promise. I'm yours, there's no getting rid of me." And after a quick goodbye, we hang up the phone and I'm left to prepare for a life-changing trip.

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"I still can't believe he canceled his gigs in order to fly me out earlier." Riley scoffs in the driver's seat.

"I can. He's Josh. I'm almost positive that no other human on this planet loves another person as much as Josh loves you. And I'm including everyone, even Lucas and his love for me." I blush, averting my eyes out the window.

The trees were fully turned at this point, some completely bare but others still a gorgeous mix of oranges, reds and yellows. It was the most beautiful time of year. "Are you nervous?" Riley asks as we merge off the freeway.

"Nervous to tell my boyfriend that we're expecting and that I've been keeping it from him for weeks? No, of course not. Why would I be worried?" My hands fidget in my lap. Deep down I knew that I did the best thing for myself but that it was also one of the most selfish things I've ever done. Josh wouldn't have cared to find out over the phone, but I would've. He deserved the comfort that I didn't have. He deserved to have me with him when he found out.

"He'll be fine" she reassures me as we pull up to the airport. I exhale shakily and without pause, Riley's hand finds mine. "And if you need to talk, any hour of the day, my phone is always on" she reminds me comfortingly.

I lean across the console and pull my best friend in for a hug. "I love you Riles."

"I love you too" she replies, squeezing me tight before letting me go completely. We share one last, quick smile and then I'm out the door, grabbing my bag and heading into the airport.

I send Josh a quick text while I'm going through security and almost an hour later I'm finally boarding my flight. It's not too long but not exactly short either. I decide to turn my phone onto airplane mode and take a nap to make it go by faster.

By the time I'm woken up by a flight attendant the plane is in descent. I grab my phone, quickly change the time zone so my clock isn't wrong for the entirety of my trip and then, I disembark, bag in hand and ready to head to Josh's.

He had sent me the address while I was on the plane so all that's left is to find an Uber and get there. Which isn't exactly easy in LA but within a half hour I'm climbing into a silver Buick with a man named John who has horrible taste in music but it's only a seventeen minute drive so I try not to let it get to me too much.

He doesn't make conversation which is nice considering the fact that as my nerves multiply, words are becoming harder and harder to form past the lump in my throat. I'm barely able to squeak out a thank you to the driver when he pulls up to the apartment building.

I look up when I step out of the car, staring up at the building that's perhaps ten or so stories high. There are lights on in multiple apartments, some even have twinkly lights wrapped around their balconies. It doesn't exactly look like a place a rock star on the rise would stay with it's brick façade and small, boxy windows but perhaps that was the point. No one would suspect that the lead singer of The Accidents lived here.

I hoist my bag onto my shoulder and walk up the small stairway, leading to the doorway and to my left, a panel of buttons. Josh had told me his apartment number so I should be plugging away and getting buzzed up but suddenly it's as if I can't move. "Everything okay?" A spunky redhead comes up behind me and I quickly whip around to face her.

She has on a black sports bra, running shorts and an armband holding her phone. Clearly, she's just coming back from a run and wondering who the weird blonde girl is, standing on her stoop. "No. Yea." I stutter, turning back to the box. "I've just suddenly forgotten which apartment my boyfriend lives in."

"Who's your boyfriend?" She asks skeptically.

"Josh Matthews."

Her eyes light up in recognition. "Josh Matthews, huh?" Her arms cross over her chest. "As if I haven't heard that one before." My eyes narrow. What was she talking about? Do girls pose as his clueless girlfriend to get access to his apartment?

"Yea okay well, unlike whoever it is that you've heard this from, I'm telling the truth. I'm Maya. Maya Hunter, I met Josh while he was still at-."

"MSA" She finishes for me. "I've uh actually heard a lot about you." Her eyes fall to the ground. Perhaps she hoped I wasn't real. Competition. Great. Just what I needed. She's a damn super model with her toned legs, bright smile and gray eyes while I'm well...pregnant.

"Cool so, uh, could you maybe?" She nods and opens the door with her keycard, holding it open for me and I smile. "Thank you." Awkwardly, we both get on the elevator and I deduce that she lives on Josh's floor which is just lovely.

Luckily, she turns away with a quick goodbye and directions towards Josh's apartment which is down the hall. I remind myself to ask Josh about her as I walk.

My heartbeat pounds in my chest and my hands feel clammy as I stop in front of his door, reaching out my hand to knock.

This was it.

The moment that would make or break my relationship with Josh once and for all.

I rap my knuckles against the wooden door and after a total of three seconds it's pulled open and standing before me is Josh. "Penelope."